Centre refutes Gogoi's claim on CRPF inaction

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday dismissed as ‘baseless’ Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's allegation that CRPF was not intervening in the Assam-Nagaland border dispute, saying the Central forces are at the state’s disposal.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said nine people died following clashes along the border of the two states due to the ‘carelessness’ of the local administration and it could have been avoided through joint patrolling by the police forces of both the states.

"As far as the border dispute is concerned both the governments should sit and talk. We can only assist. But it is not correct to blame CRPF and us. Law and order is their subject. We send central forces but state government regulates them," he said on the sidelines of an event here.

"The allegations of the CM are baseless," he said.

The Minister said he is going to Guwahati on Thursday and he will talk to both the Chief Ministers, Gogoi and Nagaland's T R Zeliang to "sit and resolve the issue together."

"We are worried about these incidents. We have decided that there should be joint patrolling (of the state borders). During the joint patrolling, support will be of central forces," he said.

Rijiju, who is an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said if both the state governments don't talk then this problem will keep recurring.

"We, at the Home Ministry, want that all north east disputes regarding to borders should be solved themselves. Tomorrow I am going to Guwahati and I will tell both CMs that these deaths have happened due to carelessness and if joint patrolling had been done then we would not have lost so many lives," he said.